New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, is being praised for his response to Superstorm Sandy. / Clem Murray, AP

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's ratings have gone up by double digits after Superstorm Sandy.

A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll released Tuesday shows 67% of registered voters view the Republican favorably, up more than 15 percentage points from before the storm. More than 90% of New Jersey residents praised their governor, saying he handled the disaster "somewhat" or "very" well.

The storm hit about a week before Election Day, causing Christie - a key supporter of Mitt Romney - and President Obama to set aside politics. Christie, a frequent Obama critic, praised the Democratic president for doing an "outstanding job" responding to the needs of people affected by Sandy.

"Gov. Christie has emerged as a clear leader in this crisis, with New Jerseyans applauding his efforts, and in particular his literal and figurative embrace of President Obama in a time of need," said David Redlawsk, director of the poll and a political scientist at Rutgers University.

Christie is also getting rave reviews in the Empire State: A Quinnipiac University Polling Institute survey released Tuesday found 89% of New York City residents said Christie's storm response was "excellent" or "good." The New Jersey governor's numbers were higher than those for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.